Obama's Choice For Arg Ambassador.....$ Buys The Post?

[sergio]

http://washingtonexaminer.com/obama-bundler-nominated-as-ambassador-to-argentina-has-never-been-to-the-country/article/2543632

 

[bigbadwolf]

If Obama can be president, why can't this twit be an ambassador?

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

Something to do with the election he won, I would imagine....

 

[Napoleon]

They ALL buy their posts.

That's how ambassador positions are filled.

1) How much money did you raise for the campaign?

2) Wait your turn until those who raised more have picked their country.

3) The countries that no one wants (several African countries), appoint some longstanding party member (former office holder) who has fallen on a sword for the party.

And there you have the selection process.

Viste?

 

[bigbadwolf]

They ALL buy their posts.

That's how ambassador positions are filled.

Not really, Some of the jobs go to campaign contributors and cronies. Some go to professional State Department officials who have worked their way up the ranks. If memory serves -- and I could be wrong -- Obama has been wont to assign more ambassadorships to cronies and contributors than has hitherto been the case. Hope and change indeed.

Postscript: Seems my memory didn't let me down:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/10/obama-donors-top-embassy-jobs-rewards

Barack Obama has rewarded some of his most active campaign donors with plum jobs in foreign embassies, with the average amount raised by recent or imminent appointees soaring to $1.8m per post, according to a Guardian analysis.

The practice is hardly a new feature of US politics, but career diplomats in Washington are increasingly alarmed at how it has grown. One former ambassador described it as the selling of public office.

 

[Rich One]

Never been to South America, no Spanish? Is he better than Martinez former Ambassador?

Welcome Noah Hamet

 

[pitipur]

Not really, Some of the jobs go to campaign contributors and cronies. Some go to professional State Department officials who have worked their way up the ranks. If memory serves -- and I could be wrong -- Obama has been wont to assign more ambassadorships to cronies and contributors than has hitherto been the case. Hope and change indeed.

Postscript: Seems my memory didn't let me down:

http://www.theguardi...sy-jobs-rewards

it's really no different than the lobbyists buying congress, though.

 

[EdRooney]

My favourite response to shocked Argentines asking why the heck I would move here is to say it's because there's less corruption here. Argentine pols steal millions while their 'developed country' counterparts steal billions.*

*(Although the Argentine ones just seem limited by not having as many opportunities as the ones up north. Give an Argie politician the opportunity and she'll steal just as much.)

 

[Shoeb]

Amazing....well I thought Ambassadors were real gentlemen and worked there way upward. It just builds up my thinking that positions are fake, money too, lfestyle too....reality is USD to peso is 12.6

 

[bigbadwolf]

Nothing wrong with patronage per se. It was the norm in 19th century European and North American states. And it was real gents who were the beneficiaries. And there's nothing particularly appealing about some classless arriviste working his way up with nothing but tedious merit. The problem is these Obama appointees are crude yobs -- other than being political bagmen and crony capitalists they have no other talents. They can't deal with foreigners, can't hold up their end of a conversation.